The Thomas M. Ryan Scholars Program at the University of Rhode Island (URI) is a prestigious full-ride scholarship for high-achieving incoming undergraduate students. It’s designed to attract outstanding students by covering tuition and living costs while giving recipients special academic and leadership opportunities on campus.
Who can apply
- Incoming first-year (freshman) applicants to the University of Rhode Island. International students who apply for undergraduate admission at URI are also eligible to be considered.
Requirements / Selection factors
While there is no separate application for the Ryan Scholars (candidates are identified from the pool of admission applicants), selection is merit-based and typically considers:
- Strong high-school academic record (GPA). Some sources note consideration of a minimum GPA ~3.2 for merit scholarship consideration (confirm on URI pages for exact thresholds and updates).
- Rigor of coursework, leadership and community involvement, letters of recommendation, and other achievements.
- Applicants must complete their URI application by the scholarship priority deadline to be given priority consideration.
Deadline
- Priority scholarship consideration / fall first-year applications: Complete application by December 1 (applicants whose files are complete by December 1 receive priority consideration for URI’s top scholarships, including the Ryan Scholars). For regular decision/other cycles check URI admissions pages.
What the scholarship offers
The Ryan Scholars program is a four-year full scholarship and typically includes:
- Tuition and fees for four years
- Housing and dining (on-campus housing and meal plan)
- Books and course materials
- One Global Winter J-Term travel/learning experience with faculty
- Access to URI Honors Program / Colloquium, Leadership Institute, special advising, priority course registration, yearly donor retreat and other special university events and mentorship opportunities
Recipients are selected from the admitted applicant pool and may be invited for campus visits and interviews as part of the selection.
Quick summary table
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Program | Thomas M. Ryan Scholars Program (URI) |
| Level | Undergraduate (First-year / Freshman) |
| Who is eligible | Incoming URI applicants (including international students) |
| Application required | No separate scholarship application — considered automatically from URI admission apps |
| Key criteria | Strong academic record, course rigor, leadership, recommendations |
| Priority deadline | December 1 (priority consideration for top scholarships) |
| Coverage | Tuition, fees, housing, dining, books, 1 Global Winter J-Term, Honors/leadership benefits (4 years) |
| Official info | University of Rhode Island (Admissions & Top Scholarships pages) |
How to apply (short)
- Apply for undergraduate admission to the University of Rhode Island.
- Make sure your application file is complete by December 1 for priority scholarship consideration.
- If selected as a candidate, URI may invite you for further review (visits/interviews). There is no separate Ryan Scholars application; scholarship reviewers select from admitted applicants.